Monday, May 7, 2012

The Dos and Don’ts of Accepting a Job Offer

Congratulations
– you’ve received a job offer! Before you accept, take a breath. There are many
things that need to be taken into consideration before accepting a job offer.

How do I respond?The
first step is to express enthusiasm for the offer, in
order to show the company that you are still interested in the position.

What if I need time to think it over?It
costs the company both time and money to recruit. You have already made it
through the hiring process, and as long as you are cordial, an employer should be more
than happy to give you the time. In order to receive more time, you may just ask
if you may have more time to consider your options before coming to a final
decision on the offer. You may want to discuss the details of the job to gain a
better understanding of what is being offered to you.

What else do I need to consider?The
next crucial part of the process is to evaluate the offer.There are two realms to focus on while you
are assessing the offer: expenses, and personal and professional satisfaction. When
evaluating expenses, you should consider how much money you will spend on
commuting, as well as things like rent, utilities, child care, and other
considerations. To calculate a monthly budget, use the Dollars and $ense
feature on the New York CareerZone website.

When considering
the satisfaction you can receive from the new position, you will want to think
about how this position fits into your long-term career goals. Can you be
successful in this position?Carefully
consider the number of hours that you will be spending on the job, and what you
may be giving up, if anything, when accepting the position. Lastly, you are
going to want to determine if you will enjoy working for that company, by
seeing if your values and way of thinking align with the company’s way.

Now
that you have evaluated the offer, you next want to determine the minimum offer
you are willing to accept, your bottom line. Now you are ready to negotiate,
accept or decline.

Should I negotiate?Negotiating
can be difficult for many people, but know that as long as you remain
respectful and courteous, most employers will not have an issue with
negotiations.If you view the
negotiations as a competition, you are likely to come across as too pushy and
will definitely not get what you want.

When
negotiating salary, you are always going to want to start high and work towards
a middle ground. This is commonly known as highballing; with this technique you
are showing that you are willing to compromise to a fair and reasonable
starting salary. When requesting a salary, it is important to present a range
rather than a specific number. In order to determine a fair starting range you
can use the Occupational Outlook Handbook,
and type your job title into the search bar. Once you find the position, you can look at
salary information nationally as well as by region. It is also important to
keep in mind that salary is not the only thing to negotiate. Benefits, such as
vacation days, salary review, sick days, insurance coverage, and bonuses can
also be brought to the table when negotiating.

When
negotiating, it is also important to continue to sell yourself to the employer.
You must justify every additional dollar or benefit you request by focusing on
the employer’s needs. You have to make a claim as to how you are going to
benefit the company and deserve the compensation that you are requesting.The ability to articulate what you can bring
to the table assures the employer that they are winning, too. Lastly, it is
imperative that you remain confident throughout the negotiating process. Thus, you
must remain mindful of both body language and speech patterns throughout the
entire conversation.

If,
after the negotiating process, you still have not received what you feel you
deserve, it is perfectly acceptable to walk away.

What if I want to decline the offer?When
declining an offer, you want to make sure that you put it in writing. The
letter should be sent in a timely fashion, due to the fact that you are not
interested and are taking a potential position away from someone else. When
most people decline an offer, it is because they have received a better offer
given their goals and interests; this is the point that the letter should focus
on. There is no need to include extensive details about the other position,
just that there is another position which suits you more. There is also no need
to go into details about what is wrong with the current position; you would not
want to insult the employer. Below is an example of a letter with the intent to
decline an offer.

Thank
you very much for offering me the position of Assistant to the Regional Manager
at Zebra Inc. While I appreciate the challenging opportunity the position
offers, I have been given another job offer which I believe more closely
matches my current career goals and interests. Therefore, although it was
a difficult decision, I must decline your generous offer.

Once
again, thank you for your consideration, and I appreciate all of your time. I
wish you and Zebra Inc. continued success and I hope our paths will cross again
in the future.

Best regards,

John Doe

John
Doe

I think I'm ready to accept my offer!

When
accepting an offer, whether it is without or with negotiations, make sure you
completely understand what you are accepting.Now that you have accepted an offer, you must stop searching. Continuing
to search can ruin your already accepted offer by portraying yourself as a
dishonest person with bad character.

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About Me

The Career Center at Stony Brook University exists to EDUCATE students about the career development process and industry options by empowering them to make informed career decisions.
PREPARE students for experiential learning (i.e. internships and community service), employment and further education.
CONNECT hiring organizations with our diverse student talent.
OUR VISION for SBU students:
Students will view academic and career planning as intertwined, and take responsibility for their success by acquiring knowledge of self and of career options, gaining related experience and establishing professional networks, reflecting on experiences to shape their next steps, and committing to ongoing career development and professional growth.